Book Review: Beowulf

Posted by Paula Stiles Aug 13, 2006

Beowulf is a classic of Anglo-Saxon literature. It is also a classic example of the difficulties of dating and evaluating medieval sources, especially when they are oral fiction preserved during the transition between paganism and Christianity in the early Middle Ages.

Beowulf is an epic poem dating probably to the 7th century C.E. but brought down to us today from a single 10th century manuscript. The Saxons of England had been Christianized by the time the poem was written down, but the poem itself appears to depict a pagan world only thinly Christianized. This layer may have been added by the writer who preserved the poem or it could have been added earlier. We don't know.

Though fictional, the events in the poem have been dated to the 6th century due to the mention of a 6th century king, Hygelac. The story has two sections. In the first, Hrothgar King of the Danes is plagued by a "son of Cain", a monster named Grendel who comes into Hrothgar's hall at night to kill and eat his men. The subject of this week's film review, The 13th Warrior, seized on this attribute of Grendel and gave it to a group of cave-dwelling Neanderthals.

Beowulf, a warrior of the Geats in southern Sweden, hears of Hrothgar's distress and travels to Denmark with his men to help the King of the Danes. Soon after he arrives, Grendel attacks at night. Beowulf, who has superhuman strength, wrestles Grendel and tears off his arm. Grendel flees into the swamp and bleeds to death. But after the Danes celebrate Beowulf's victory, Grendel's mother comes and attacks them in their sleep. Beowulf must follow her back to her cave and defeat her there.

Skip ahead fifty years and go back to Sweden. Beowulf has become king and ruled the Geats for many years when a dragon attacks his people. Ignoring his warriors' advice, he goes out alone and attacks the dragon in its lair. He kills it but is mortally wounded. The poem ends with his funeral and the mourning of his people. Because he left behind no heir, the Swedes will now attack and destroy the Geats. His death, despite his great victory, has doomed them.

This grim and fatalistic message is not lightened by any Christian overlay. At the end, we get the pagan Scandinavian worldview straight up-brave but bleak.